The Athena Databases

The Institute has developed a set of regional North American life cycle inventory (LCI) databases for key roadway products, covering aggregates and pavement types applicable to typical highway design.

These material databases include various aggregate, asphalt and concrete used in roadway applications. Additional databases related to regional electricity grids, thermal fuel use, transportation by various modes are taken from the US LCI Database housed at the National Renewable Energy Lab (www.nrel.gov/lci).

These product and global fuel LCI databases are continually updated – the oldest of which is of a 1997 vintage.

The Institute developed databases are regionally sensitive, taking into consideration manufacturing technology, transportation and electricity grid differences as well as recycled content differences for products produced in various regions. Our databases are built from the ground up using actual manufacturing surveys or engineered process models and are not reliant on trade or government data sources.

While the Product Specification section of this help file provides some basic information about the individual and product categories, the underlying LCI database reports (in PDF format) are available to those so inclined free of charge from our website (www.athenasmi.org).